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Chapter Twenty-Four

IZZIE

T he next morning at the breakfast table, Mom takes the news that we’re expected at Chad’s house to meet his parents as well as I thought she would.

“What do you mean we’re meeting Chad’s parents today ?” Her voice rises in pitch.

“I know it’s last minute, but his parents are in town, and he really wants us to meet them,” Jane replies.

“That’s very thoughtful of him,” Dad pipes up before Mom can say anything.

“Well, no one is saying it’s not thoughtful, but if I had known, I’d have done my nails yesterday and put roll pins in my hair already.”

“Mom, your nails are fine,” I interject.

“And you have time to do your hair,” Jane adds.

Mom presses her hands against her chest. “Oh no. I invited Colombo Gomez for lunch. I can’t cancel on him. He’s only in town until tomorrow.”

“Colombo who?” I ask.

Mom looks at me as if my question offends her. “Lorena’s son. Surely you remember my best friend from Seville.”

“Oh, I remember her. I don’t remember her son, though.”

“Well, I was hoping you’d show him around the ranch, Izzie. He loves horses, and he’s thinking about buying a ranch nearby.”

My stomach coils tightly. Now that Jane is off the market, I’m not surprised Mom has turned her matchmaking focus on me.

“Isn’t Colombo a lawyer in Seville?” Jane asks. “He’s not moving to Miami, is he?”

Mom shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe if he had a reason to stay...”

I give her a droll look. “He’s a lawyer, Mom. He can’t simply start practicing in another country.”

She waves a hand dismissively. “As I was saying, I can’t uninvite him.”

“Colombo is pretty much family. He can join us at Chad’s party,” Dad replies.

Family? How can he be family if I don’t even know what he looks like? I glance at Jane to see her reaction. She looks at me, clearly panicked.

“Oh, that’s an excellent idea, carino.” Mom beams.

“Mom, you can’t be serious,” I argue.

“I’m very serious. What’s the big deal? The more the merrier.”

“I’m invited to the party too, right?” Lydia chimes in.

“Of course.” Jane reaches for the coffee creamer.

“Sweet! Who else besides Chad’s relatives will be there?”

“Only Jackson,” I reply.

“See? It’s not only family going to the party,” Mom pipes up with an air of triumph.

Lydia’s smiles wilts, and her shoulders slump. “Really? No other hockey players?”

I narrow my eyes. “Why do you care if other hockey players are going? They’re all too old for you.”

She frowns. “Not the Kaminski twins.”

“They both have girlfriends,” Jane replies.

Lydia arches a brow. “So?”

I shake my head. “Even if they were single, they wouldn’t go anywhere near you. You’re only sixteen.”

She crosses her arms. “Whatever.”

I’m glad that this get-together is for family only, with the exception of a few strays like Jackson and now Colombo. Lydia is boy crazy, and being jailbait won’t stop her from flirting with the players she finds attractive. I have to keep an eye on her.

Mom stands up. “I need to get ready.”

Dad’s brows arch. “It’s only nine, dear. You have plenty of time.”

“No, I don’t.” She walks away in a hurry, and Dad lets out a resigned sigh.

“What should I wear?” Lydia asks. “And does Chad have a pool? Should I bring my bathing suit?”

“He does have a pool, and yes, you can bring your bathing suit. I’ll bring mine too.”

I wrinkle my nose. The last thing I’d want to do is wear a bikini in front of my future in-laws. But I keep the thought to myself and shove a big piece of bread in my mouth.

* * *

JACKSON

One thing the altercation with the Vikings fans at our last game did was to infuse new energy into the team. We want to make those fuckers cry. We were all feeling pretty beaten down before, but I could tell the difference during this morning practice. We played like a well-oiled machine again, and Chad was on fire. I have every confidence we can beat the Vikings tomorrow.

I made sure to talk to every team member individually to check on them—even Wickham. I hate his guts, but I have to put my personal feelings aside. He acted professional for a change. He knows his time with the Lions is up, and winning the Cup will increase his bag when it comes to negotiating with a new team.

I haven’t seen Izzie since Vancouver, and even though I have so much on my plate right now, I haven’t stopped thinking about her. I know it’s a mistake to entertain the idea of getting involved with her, which is why I stopped what was evolving in my hotel room. But When Chad invited me to come over today, I didn’t hesitate. I was keen, and it wasn’t because Chad’s parents were in town.

Chad asked me to man the grill, which I’m happy to do. I love barbecuing. His house isn’t far from mine, only ten minutes away. It’s in Key Biscayne by the water and has a big outdoor area and pool in the back. I picked him up after we got home from the training facility to go buy all the meat from our favorite butcher shop, and we just got back.

Victoria Bingley, Chad’s mom, is in the kitchen cooking something. It smells delicious.

“What are you making, Mom?”

“It’s the day before your big game. You know very well what I’m making.”

Chad and I exchange a glance and say in unison, “Mac and cheese!”

“Of course. I want to give you boys the best chance to win the Cup.”

Chad stops close to his mom and kisses her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”

Witnessing this scene, I might find it easy to believe Chad has a great relationship with his mother. But I know his parents gave him a lot of grief growing up. They put pressure on him to excel at everything. In a way, they were like my aunt Catherine. After my mother died, I went to live with her in New Haven, Connecticut. My father was never in the picture—he divorced my mother when she was expecting me, and took off to God knows where.

Aunt Catherine expected great things from me, but she wasn’t excited about my passion for hockey. She agreed to sponsor my dream only when I vowed to be the best hockey player in the world. I consider winning the Cup tomorrow as the fulfillment of that vow.

“Does your fiancée know how to cook?” Chad’s mother asks.

Chad winces, revealing how uncomfortable he is with the question. My guess is that he doesn’t know the answer. He’s only been dating Jane for a few months, after all.

He rubs the back of his neck and says, “Yeah. of course.”

“Well, you never know with women these days. In any case, I must teach Jane the recipes of all your favorite foods.”

Chad smiles. “I’m sure she’d love that.”

The doorbell rings, and I check the time. Chad told Jane to come at three, but it’s only half past two. If they’re early, I’ll be surprised. Her family doesn’t strike me as punctual.

A moment later, the front door opens and Caroline walks in. “Hello everyone.”

Chad turns to her. “Hey, sis. You’re here early.”

“I always like to be the first to arrive.” She looks at me and her smile broadens. “Hi, Jackson.”

“Hey, Carol.” I kiss her cheek, and she lingers close to me longer than necessary.

I’ve always been friendly with her. She’s like a sister to me, but I hope she doesn’t think I’m interested in her romantically.

I step back. “I’d better start working on the meat.”

“Do you need any help?” Caroline asks.

“No, I’m good.”

“All right, then. I guess I’ll just head over to the pool.”

“You’re not going to ask Mom if she needs help?” Chad arches a brow at his sister.

She wrinkles her nose. “You know I hate cooking.”

Chad glances at me, and I see the question in his gaze. I subtly shake my head, and he shrugs.

“You go sunbathe, sweetie,” Victoria replies, and when Caroline walks out of the house, Victoria turns to Chad. “What were you thinking, volunteering Carol to help me? You know she can’t make toast to save her life.”

“Well… she offered to help Jackson.”

Victoria turns her shrewd gaze on me. “That she did. Interesting.”

My eyes widen. “No, not interesting. Please don’t get any ideas.”

“Pity. You’d make a great couple.”

I must have made a face, because Chad starts to laugh. Fucker. Let’s see how long his amusement lasts when Jane arrives with her colorful family in tow.